5 Easy ways to spice up your shade garden (Part 2)

In my previous post on ways to funkify your shade garden, I became so obsessed with finding new shade plants that I had to break it into Part 1 and 2.

So here's Part 2 – get an eyeful of these sexy plants! Me-OW!

6) Love me some lilies

Seems anything with the word "lily" in it can tolerate the shade. Here are just a few luscious examples:

Toad lily (this image courtesy This Garden is Illegal):

Bush lily (this image, of Clivia miniata 'French Hybrid,' courtesy Monrovia):

Daylily (this image of Earlybird Cardinal daylily courtesy of the Daylily Lovers Blog):

Flax lily (this image of Gold Stripe flax lily courtesy of Monrovia):

 7) Go for some groundcovers

"In dense shade and problem areas where it's hard to tend plants, there are several perennial groundcovers that can be used effectively," says Deborah L. Brown, extension agent at the University of Minnesota, in her article "Gardening in the Shade."

"Most evergreen groundcovers like Japanese spurge and periwinkle require the insulation of a good snow cover to carry them through the winter," she continues. "Other groundcovers such as wild violets, lilies of the valley, goutweed, and wild ginger are more durable. Many of these tough groundcovers can survive in a root-filled location that would be impossible for annuals or other perennials."

Jeepers Creepers® Golden Creeping Jenny (image taken by me at Bristol's Garden Center in Victor, NY):

Yellow Archangel creeping lamium (taken by me at Bristol's):

 8) Plant some spring bulbs in fall

"Spring flowering bulbs can be planted in deep shade provided you treat them as annuals, planting new bulbs each fall and then digging them up and discarding them once they've bloomed," says Brown (above). "The bulbs you buy already have miniature flowers inside. All that's needed is a cold winter in the ground for those flower buds to emerge in spring."

Some spring bulbs, she says – such as crocus, scillas, snowdrops, and species tulips – bloom and produce leaves early enough, before the trees leaf out, so that they receive adequate amounts of sun to blossom annually in a lightly shaded area. "Daffodils naturalize beautifully in an open wooded area," says Brown. "The tuberous begonia is another bulbous plant that grows well in light shade, since its delicate blossoms cannot stand full sunlight. Tuberous begonias are very tender, though, and must be stored indoors over the winter and not set out until frost danger has passed."

9) Add some veggies – yes, veggies!

 Again, I have to quote Brown: "Vegetables all do best in bright sunlight from early morning to nightfall, but a few of the leafier types can be tried in light or partial shade," she says. "These include plants that are grown for greens rather than for fruits or roots. Vegetables such as leaf lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, kale, mustard greens, and beet greens will be thinner leaved and less robust when grown in light shade rather than full sunlight, but they will be tasty even though their growth is not luxurious."

I particularly like purple ornamental kale (this image courtesy of Sunset.com):

And who could say no to the rainbow-stemmed Bright Lights swiss chard (image courtesy All-Natural-Mama):

10) Don't forget the shrubs!

Just as shrubs and other woody perennials give you good "garden bones," or a framework on which to build, this rule even applies to shady, less-formal-seeming, woodland retreats. I think Nikky Phipps' "Shade-Loving Shrubs" article on GardeningKnowHow is great, especially since it includes my absolutely most coveted plant in the entire world: Carolina Allspice. Her other suggestions: Honeysuckle shrub, gardenias, viburnums, witch hazel, goatsbeard, yews, barberry, hydrangeas, rhododendrons, azaleas and boxwood.

Carolina allspice (very fragrant; image here from bhg.com):

Honeysuckle shrub (image courtesy Allan Becker - Garden Guru):

 Goatsbeard (image courtesy of My Little Patch of Green):

Before I go, I also have to share this great shade container recipe from a May 23, 2010 article in the Ottawa Citizen called "Shady Performers" by Ailsa Francis (pictured here, putting the combo together):

The ingredients:

Cimicifuga Pink Spike: A perennial (dark leaves, in back) that provides vertical interest and a focal point. (Image courtesy Van Bloem Gardens).

Lysimachia procumbens Aurea: This tender perennial with golden foliage (left) trails over the side of the pot. (Image courtesy Magnolia Gardens Nursery).

Astilbe simplicifolia Key West: A moisture-loving perennial that provides feathery texture and mid-season flowering. (Image courtesy Van Bloem Gardens).

Fuchsia Gartenmeister Bonstedt: This tender plant blooms all season long and is upright and bushy. (Image courtesy Dave's Garden).

Hakonechloa All Gold: A golden-colored perennial grass that provides luminosity and movement. (Image courtesy A Way to Garden).

Bonfire^® Begonia: This choice begonia trails and will bloom continuously through the summer. (Image courtesy Tesselaar Plants).

Stained Glassworks™ Solenostemon: A novelty coleus grown for its colorful foliage.